Living with a disability that impacts your ability to move around can be frustrating. Doing everyday tasks such as catching a bus or accessing a building can become a mammoth task if your needs have not been accommodated. This can be particularly hard to live with if the space that you are struggling to navigate is your own home.
According to the Council for Disability Awareness, major American cities still pose a range of difficulties for people with disabilities. In fact, according to a 2017 survey, 20% of people living with a disability encounter some difficulty accessing a building, service, or transportation at least once a day.
If you live with a disability and struggle to do everyday tasks, the one place that should be a haven is your own home.
There are many modifications that you can consider making to your home to ensure that your safety and comfort are a priority. However, before you spend your money on rails and ramps, several considerations need to be addressed.
Remodeling your home to accommodate your needs as a person living with a disability is a highly specialized field.
You want to put together a team of experts who will advise you on the best path to take. You want to have somebody move around the home with you to identify problem spaces, such as entrance and exits, bathroom and kitchen facilities, and your bedroom.
Being able to access and enjoy these vital areas in your home will have a significant effect on your level of independence as well as your safety, especially if you live alone.
Your advisory team should include your physical and occupational therapist, your doctor, and a suitably qualified contractor with a proven track record in remodeling for persons living with a disability.
The cost of having a multi-disciplinary team design your home modifications and a contractor who is qualified to implement the remodeling can be prohibitive.
Fortunately, if you are the beneficiary of a structured settlement or annuity, you do have the option of exchanging your monthly payments for a lump sum of cash. You can use these funds to remodel your home, which will have an immediate and lasting effect on your quality of life.
